Nitin Gadkari approves draft notification for Bharat NCAP safety testing

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the draft notification of India’s safety testing program, Bharat NCAP. 

The draft notification for the introduction of Bharat NCAP has been approved by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. The program will be similar to the global NCAP and will use star ratings to rate the safety performance of cars in crash tests. However, Bharat NCAP will factor in the existing Indian regulations and driving conditions.

In a series of tweets, Gadkari highlighted that the Bharat NCAP will be aimed at being a consumer-centric platform while promoting healthy competition among manufacturers selling cars in India. 'Star rating of Indian cars based on crash tests is extremely crucial not just for the safety of passengers, but also increase the export-worthiness of Indian automobiles,' he noted.

The minister also noted that the testing protocols of Bharat NCAP will be in line with global crash test protocols. 'Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar (self-sufficient), with the mission of making India the number 1 automobile hub in the world,' he added.

It should also be noted that Bharat NCAP will not just conduct passive safety tests and test ICE cars but also test and rate CNG and EVs based on their performance. Apart from that, unlike other NCAP formats, where separate ratings are provided for adult and child protection, Bharat NCAP will give a unified rating.

The Bharat NCAP is a crucial step toward reducing road fatalities in India. The government is planning to reduce road accidents and the consequent deaths by 50% by the end of 2030. India has one of the world’s worst accident records – according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 1,20,000 people died due to road-related accidents in India in 2020.

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